Trapped
by Shadowy Flames
Summary: Russetfur was never given a choice to become deputy; Blackstar forced her into the position where she would be idolized by her clanmates, no matter how horrid she felt. This is a short story written over eight segments.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay... welcome.**

 **If you read the summary, this will be written over eight segments.**

 **So let's begin.**

* * *

 _"The new deputy of ShadowClan will be Russetfur."_

Russetfur lashed her tail through the leaves, ignoring the fact that her prey - a lizard - had escaped, as her leader's words replayed themselves in her mind. It had been at least a half-moon since Blackstar had made her deputy, and she still hadn't coped.

Great StarClan, being deputy was awful. All her clanmates looked up to her as if she was a StarClan cat itself, and she now had the new tasks of assigning patrols and helping Blackstar decide mentors.

If she made a single mistake, the clan would be horrified.

If only Blackstar had chosen some other cat to be his deputy when he became leader. Some slightly more _competent_ cat, say, Oakfur. Even though she hated Oakfur, she wouldn't wish this _torture_ or on any cat, for that matter. Why did it have to be _her?_

Blackstar had made the worst mistake of his life, to make her deputy. But she couldn't back out of it.

Because she never had a choice.

 _"I... I... may I have time to think about this, Blackstar? I will tell you my final answer before moonhigh." Russetfur lowered her green eyes to the ground, but she didn't miss the angry flash in Blackstar's gaze as he replied._

 _"Very well. Make sure it is before moonhigh." Blackstar dipped his head, dismissing the clan to its duties. After watching the cats disperse, some heading out the camp entrance, and others settling down to share tongues, Russetfur drew in a long, slow breath, still reeling from the shock as if a wave had hit her, hard, sending her flying off her paws._

 _"Russetfur!"_

 _Slowly, almost considering ignoring her leader, Russetfur turned. Blackstar raised his head as he sprang gracefully down. "I want to talk to you in my den, immediately."_

 _"Yes, Blackstar," Russetfur mewed, resisting the urge to let out that inward groan as she turned back and padded after her white leader. She would have given anything to be in any other place, and she hated that her disciplined paws had carried her into Blackstar's den._

 _Blackstar curled his tail neatly around his paws as she stopped before him._

 _"It's a strange request you made," Blackstar mewed calmly, but there was no mistaking that edge to his mew. "Most cats just think about it on the spot and agree. I don't think there's been a single cat from ShadowClan who has ever disagreed to be deputy."_

 _"I'm afraid that I might need time to think about it, still," Russetfur mewed, tilting her head to one side as indifferently as she could manage._

 _Blackstar nodded. "I'm afraid you don't, because I will be, shall we say,_ helping _to make the decision."_

 _"Excuse me?" Russetfur couldn't keep the surprise out of her mew._

 _"You will be my deputy, Russetfur." Blackstar purred innocently, black tail-tip twitching, as if he had said something exceedingly charming. A muffled protest left her jaws, but Blackstar ignored it. "A wonderful opportunity, is it not?"_

How about... no? _"I'm sorry, Blackstar, but I don't-"_

 _"Russetfur." Blackstar's gaze was firm. "Thank you for agreeing to be my deputy. It will be a true pleasure. Now, why don't we go and tell the clan what you have decided?"_

Russetfur found herself glaring with gritted teeth, clenched muscles, and unsheathed claws, as she lashed her tail from side to side - not bothering that she probably scared half the prey from here to the Carrionplace.

Sure, she might have said 'yes' after she thought about it that day. But what bothered her was that Blackstar _hadn't_ given her the choice. It might have come to the same outcome, eventually, but... it wasn't the same thing.

Russetfur sunk her claws into the ground, mercilessly tearing at the long stalks at her paws without even realizing it. For a moment, it was _Blackstar_ under her paws, and it made her... _content_ to slice her claws viciously.

That StarClan-forsaken tom.

She _hated_ that he had so much power over her... it made her feel all-too vulnerable and weak. If only there was someone she could talk to.

Someone who didn't make her sound entirely lizard-brained.

Oh, but StarClan was cruel, and couldn't grant her anything.

" _If_ you're quite finished scaring off all the prey," a cold voice growled behind her, and Russetfur felt her muscles involuntarily tighten as Oakfur padded up beside her, "I think you would do well to hunt, wouldn't you?"

Russetfur rolled her eyes, biting back an angry retort, as Oakfur stalked away, muttering about cats who were loud enough to scare all the prey in ThunderClan.

She wasn't in the mood for hunting. Her muscles were too tense, her hackles raised, her claws twitching with an urge to tear apart and maul any prey she might have caught. What a waste of prey that would be, even if it did satisfy her claws.

Oh, and as a _deputy,_ she was supposed to be a good example.

Why had she been so lizard-brained as to put herself on a hunting patrol?

She didn't have anything better to do, but she was scaring all the prey away. What else? A border patrol? The only one out at the moment was led by Blackstar, and Russetfur did _not_ want to be in the same patrol as him.

No, _most definitely_ not.

She'd rather die.

Well, actually, that wouldn't be a bad idea, at this point in time... there was nothing really that could make her feel worse. But no. Of course not.

There were things she could do, _like go on a patrol with Blackstar_ , that would just ruin her life even further.

It was capable of getting worse, but not much worse.

She had never liked Blackstar, not even as an apprentice. He had been the last one of her denmates to fully accept her because she had come from the Twolegplace - he probably never _fully_ accepted her, anyway. But this... this had pushed it too far.

 _Is he just doing this to watch me and mock me as I suffer, or does he want something from me?_

Russetfur's green eyes clouded. There had been one day, not even a full day, when she and Blackstar had actually spoken kindly to each other. The day that Badgerpaw - Badgerfang - had died in battle, she and Blackstar - Black _paw,_ at the time - had mourned the fallen warrior together.

 _Together._

As if they weren't rivals, but companions.

Though Blackstar might have forgotten that day, she hadn't... and she wished that the friendship, if she could even call it that, had lasted for longer, and that their rivalries hadn't brought her to this misery.

It was just past sunhigh, the light filtering mildly through the pine forest, onto Russetfur's dark red pelt, as she sprang clumsily upward, her claws unsheathed, ready to sink into a blackbird. _Oh, for StarClan's sake._ She missed, and as the blackbird settled on a higher branch, Russetfur landed on her face in the dirt.

As if she could fall any lower than she already felt.

* * *

"Russetfur!"

Russetfur stopped in her tracks and turned away from the inviting fresh-kill pile and faced a much-less-inviting Blackstar. She dipped her head calmly, hoping that the taut fury didn't show on her face as she padded toward her leader. "Yes, Blackstar?"

"You went on a hunting patrol. Yet you did not catch anything. So you must not eat." Blackstar flicked his black tail-tip casually before curling his tail around his paws, his amber eyes betraying no sympathy or emotion.

Russetfur's eyes flashed. _What scandal is this? Some cats don't hunt at all and just sleep the entire day!_ "Blackstar, I-"

"You are a _deputy._ You cannot set such an example for your clanmates." Blackstar nodded icily to her, once, shook out his thick white pelt, turned around, and stalked away to his den. Russetfur glared after him, green eyes blazing.

Her claws unsheathed and sunk into the ground, holding her back from sprinting after Blackstar and tearing his throat out.

Beneath her dark red pelt, her stomach burned on the inside, letting Russetfur know, rather loudly, that she was starving. Of course, she wouldn't go out of her dignified way to pad after Blackstar and beg to be allowed to eat; she'd rather die of starvation.

She recalled that her half-brother Scorchwind had once called her _'too proud for her own good'._ Well, she wasn't going to change that now.

If Scorchwind were still here... what would he think of her? Would he be able to understand? Or would he just tell her to be more 'grateful' that she was given the opportunity to be clan deputy. _Oh, for StarClan's sake, I am_ not _lucky._

 _'Aren't you?'_ Russetfur whipped around as a painfully-familiar warm breath stirred her neck fur.

"Scorchwind," Russetfur breathed softly, her voice almost carried away by the breeze. She couldn't see her half-brother, but she could... well... _feel_ his presence beside her as his tail - or what would have been his tail if she could have seen it - rested on her shoulder.

 _'Why do you say you aren't lucky?'_

"Do you really need to ask?" Russetfur couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice.

 _'Haven't you ever wondered why Blackstar made you his deputy?'_ Scorchwind's scent wreathed around her. _'Think about it, Russetfur. Once you do, I think you'll realize that you're luckier than you consider yourself to be.'_

Scorchwind's scent faded, untangling itself from her pelt. Russetfur looked up, startled, as if she could see him. "Wait!" A soft paw batted at the air, as her half-brother vanished entirely, taking whateer warmth he had brought to her pelt, with her.

Russetfur wanted to wail like a kit, as him what he had meant... but he was gone.

And had left half the clan staring wide-eyed at her, as if she had gone entirely insane at that moment, to be talking to the air. A single icy glare swept across them turned them away to do whatever they had been doing before.

 _Great StarClan, what are you doing to me?_

Shaking out her red fur, Russetfur replayed Scorchwind's words in her mind. _'Haven't you ever wondered why Blackstar made you his deputy?'_ Well, yes, of course she had. Either he was stuck-up and took pleasure in seeing her in this state, or he wanted something from her.

She had established that a while ago.

 _'Think about it, Russetfur.'_

Well, what could he _possibly_ want from her? What could he gain from her being his deputy, unless he wanted to consult such a rival to make his decisions? There was absolutely _nothing_ he could gain. For StarClan's sake, why would Blackstar want something from _her?_

Something that he couldn't get from anyone else?

What set her apart?

Well... she was Blackstar's sworn rival... had a dark red pelt... was a former kittypet... was Scorchwind and Raggedstar's half-sister... was one of the best fighters in the clan... was also one of the most sarcastic cats in the clan... what else?

There was nothing Blackstar could gain from anything like that.

Maybe, because she was one of the best fighters in the clan, Blackstar wanted to make sure that he had entire control over what she did? But that didn't make sense; she was purely loyal to her clan. Blackstar, no matter how much he hated her, knew she was loyal.

She might not be the most pleasant cat, in his eyes, but she had made sure he knew she was loyal to ShadowClan. But what else? There was something more about her, wasn't there? There had to be. What could Blackstar want from _her?_

Russetfur was going to find out. Even if it killed her.

No matter how many days she had to starve under Blackstar's orders.

 _'Think about it, Russetfur. Once you do, I think you'll realize that you're luckier than you consider yourself to be.'_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for reviewing the first chapter.**

 **Let's continue.**

* * *

It wasn't even dawn when Russetfur was awoken by sharp cuffs on her shoulder. Blinking open her eyes, her gaze latched onto the cat who had woken her - Blackstar. Russetfur jumped to her paws, glaring. "What do you want now?"

" _I_ don't want anything," Blackstar growled, his dark amber eyes betraying the fact that he was trying very hard not to start yowling at her. "A deputy must be awake before any of the other warriors to assign them onto patrols."

"For StarClan's sake, Blackstar!" Russetfur unsheathed her claws. "None of the warriors are awake. The moon hasn't even fully sunk in the sky."

Blackstar leaned closer, so that his muzzle was almost brushing hers. Russetfur didn't take a step back; that was a sign of weakness. The white leader smirked, then flicked his tail to one side. "Look, _deputy._ Now some _are_ awake, thanks to you."

Without another word, the ShadowClan leader stalked out of the den.

 _Now that is just unfair._

Russetfur sent another glare shooting after his retreating back before turning back to her nest, gazing at it for a few moments before deciding, rather rebelliously, to settle down into the soft moss once more.

 _I don't care what you say, Blackstar,_ she shot silently after the white leader.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Oakfur clamber sleepily out of his nest, tendrils clinging to his pelt.

"Should I ask why you were yowling at no one in the middle of the night?"

 _Great StarClan, he always seems to start off the day with a grumpy comment._ "No," Russetfur retorted coolly. "But now that you're awake, you've volunteered to lead the dawn patrol, once the moon fully fades from the sky."

With a nonchalant flick of her tail, she made herself comfortable, aware of two or three other cats staring at her, as she curled her body into itself in her nest. _Looks like my position was able to do something good, for once._

"Do _I_ have to?"

Russetfur resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she acknowledged Cedarheart. Most likely the most annoying warrior in all the clans.

"No, just go back to your nest, for StarClan's sake," Russetfur growled, lashing her tail in annoyance as she glared at him through slitted green eyes. "Don't wake half the clan up. Just sleep." She lowered her voice. "As long as you like. The longer the better."

 _Yet I still have to wake up before the sun, thanks to Blackstar's orders._ Russetfur twitched her whiskers.

 _You can make me deputy, Blackstar, and torture me all you want, but know that if I disobey your orders, I have nothing to lose._

 _You can't stop me._

Russetfur let her green eyes close, drew her body closer into itself, curled her tail over her back, and let the warm, dark wave of sleep - away from all the insanity of the waking world, _her_ world, her _awful_ world - wash gently over her.

If only that peace would have lasted for longer than what felt than a few heartbeats.

She was awoken too soon, too harshly.

After all, what better start to the day than to wake up and look up into the face of the cat who ruined her life?

* * *

"Russetfur, what happens to the prey in the river during leaf-bare?"

"I don't know, Jaggedtooth," Russetfur growled sarcastically. "Maybe... they all _freeze?"_

"Russetfur, do you have a littermate?" That was Boulder.

"Don't you know that already?"

"Russetfur, why aren't we more like ThunderClan?"

"For StarClan's sake, Jaggedtooth, maybe it's because we're _ShadowClan,_ not _ThunderClan?"_

"Russetfur, is it true you like - _love_ \- Blackstar?"

Russetfur stopped short in her tracks, spluttering furiously as she whipped around to face Cedarheart. She didn't know whether to be laughing or yowling at him. " _Where_ in the name of _StarClan_ did you hear such fox-dung as _that?"_

Cedarheart took a pace back, then slunk away. Russetfur rolled her eyes.

"Russetfur, why is Boulder such a mouse-brain?"

"For _StarClan's_ sake, Jaggedtooth, what are you - a kit?"

This was definitely the _worst_ border patrol she had ever been on. Well, all patrols without Oakfur or Blackstar with her ended up being awful, ever since she became deputy. Her clanmates chose to ask her the most ridiculous questions.

And expected her to know all the answers. Honestly, it was _annoying,_ to say the least. How did all the other deputies manage to put up with all of it? Well... they probably didn't have mouse-brained idiots as their clanmates.

Actually, though they might be mouse-brained, they were quite loyal. They would obey whatever order she gave... an annoy the life out of her in the process.

"Russetfur?" The timid question came from Boulder.

"No."

They were nearing their border with ThunderClan, now. Their job was to mark the border, nothing else. She definitely was not going out of her way to deal with these stupid furballs any longer than she absolutely _had_ to.

 _"Russetfur."_

"No." Russetfur ignored Boulder again and kept walking, her gaze fixed on her steadily moving paws as she stalked ahead of the rest of them.

"Russetfur!" That was it.

" _What in the name of StarClan_ do you want? _"_ she hissed, furiously whipping around to glare at the dark gray tom, nearly spitting as she glared at him. Boulder took a pace back if he were stuck by a huge wave of intensity from her green glare.

Boulder shook out his ragged fur. "Why are-"

"Not _another_ stupid question."

The gray tom drew in a breath, as if fighting himself not to get annoyed. "Why are ThunderClan on Snakerocks?"

Whatever she had been expecting, _that_ wasn't it. Russetfur whipped around, looking down ahead, just down the hill they were standing on. Sure enough, there were cats moving on Snakerocks - ThunderClan cats - casually settled on the ground, as if waiting.

Russetfur muttered something under her breath. The patrol didn't look big enough to outnumber them; it seemed like an average patrol that they could take on. Enough cats to match theirs. It would be a fair fight, and she, as their _revered deputy,_ was going to make ShadowClan win.

She dipped her head to Boulder before lifting her head and yowling, "ShadowClan! Follow!"

The ShadowClan cats streaked down the slope, teeth bared, Russetfur at the lead. Her claws were already unsheathed as she raced to the base of the slope, her face already contorted into a vicious snarl, her fur bristling as she came to a stop in front of Thornclaw.

Her warriors stopped beside her, on either side.

Russetfur made sure to keep her claws unsheathed, but her voice cool, as she addressed the ThunderClan warrior. "A true _pleasure_ to see you here, Thornclaw. May I ask why we have the honor of such a _wonderful_ visit?"

"Snakerocks has belonged to ThunderClan since StarClan existed," Thornclaw growled, not bothering to hide the hostility in his tone. "We may have allowed ShadowClan here for a while, but we reclaim our territory today."

Russetfur scanned the cats standing beside Thornclaw, then surveyed her own. "No," she decided finally. "Snakerocks belongs to ShadowClan."

Thornclaw smirked. "Very well, then." He lifted his head. "ThunderClan, attack!"

The ThunderClan cats surged forward, but something was wrong. There were more cats there that she somehow hadn't noticed before. Earlier, they had been an even match, hadn't they? But now... why were there more cats than before?

"Great StarClan," Jaggedtooth whispered at her side, his eyes fixed on something ahead. And then she saw it. ThunderClan cats were pouring out from behind the bushes, at least enough to make the size of two patrols. "We're crowfood."

Without bothering to rethink the logic behind her action, Russetfur let out a fearsome yowl and hurled herself at Thornclaw.

She bowled him over with the impact and landed on top of the ThunderClan warrior, kicking and biting. Thornclaw rolled, but she swiped at the soft part of his underbelly. He turned at the last moment, and her claws scored across his flank. Thornclaw reared up and hurled himself at her, but Russetfur darted beneath him and sunk her teeth into his hind leg, hearing him screech in agony.

Around her, the cats exploded into battle.

Russetfur's teeth stayed firm in Thornclaw's paw, but her grip was broken when another ThunderClan warrior leaped onto her from behind and sunk his claws into her back. She recognized him as Dustpelt, and reared up, throwing him off easily. The light brown tabby hissed and met her claws with his own, and as Russetfur forced him backward, the two grappled on the ground.

"Jaggedtooth," she hissed urgently, through gasping breaths, to the small tom beside her. "Go back, get as much help as you can. He didn't ask questions, just dipped his head and streaked away through the trees.

Russetfur winced as teeth met her tail, then ripped herself free and prepared to fight both Dustpelt and Sandstorm at once.

 _Hurry up, Jaggedtooth!_

Sandstorm attacked first, moving so fast that Russetfur took a pace back. Dustpelt sunk his claws into her shoulder, but she rolled, kicking him off. Her claws struck blindly out, feeling her claws connect with fur. She heard a yowl of shock and dared to open her eyes.

Sandstorm stumbled backward, her face bleeding where her claws had raked across it. From the looks of it, the wound would leave a scar - two lines across her cheek and nose.

Dustpelt let out a low growl, and hurled himself at her. Russetfur screeched in shock as his claws connected with her soft underbelly, and crumpled gracelessly to the ground. Her breath came in ragged gasps as pain filled her.

At the very edge of her darkening vision, she saw reinforcements arrive, Jaggedtooth at the head, yowling viciously. She let out a sigh of relief as they surged down the slope, throwing themselves into the battle with renewed energy.

The world blurred and went black.

* * *

Russetfur drew in a long breath and opened her eyes, squinting at the sudden light. Blackstar was silhouetted in the entrance of the medicine den. His gaze bored into her. "What in the name of StarClan happened?"

"It was _not_ my fault!" Russetfur retorted, leaping to her paws, then settled down again as pain filled her underbelly. "ThunderClan attacked, and we were outnumbered by a lot. I sent Jaggedtooth to get reinforcements, and I think he brought the hunting patrol."

"Next time, use more sense. If you know you're outnumbered, don't-"

"I _didn't know!_ " Russetfur spat. "There were cats hiding behind the bushes and large rocks. And we only figured out when they attacked us. Great StarClan, I'm not that lizard-brained. I have a mind of my own, you know."

Blackstar shrugged. "I wouldn't put it past you."

"Shut up."

There was rustling from deeper inside the den, and Littlecloud emerged. "Honestly, Blackstar, I thought you'd be more considerate toward your clanmates. I think it would be better if you left your wounded deputy in peace rather than bother her."

Blackstar muttered something under his breath, then turned to leave. "Send her to my den when she's ready."

 _Great, lucky me._

 _How can I be a deputy if my leader himself doesn't trust me?_

 _Not that I want to be deputy, anyway._

Littlecloud twitched his whiskers and padded back into the depths of the medicine den.

 _Scorchwind, what would you do in a situation like this?_

But friendly, charming Scorchwind would never have gotten himself into this situation. He was a good warrior, and even Blackstar knew that it would be a waste of a good warrior to put him in a place where he didn't fit in right.

 _I hate you, Blackstar._


End file.
